AMLO AND OTHERS: PEOPLE ARE MAD ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS

If ever there was a mandate for change, this was it. In the Mexican presidential election on Sunday, left-wing nationalist Andrés Manuel López Obrador rang up both the largest vote tally and widest margin of victory in his country’s democratic history. He also appears to have led his Morena party to control over both houses of Congress, upending nearly a century of rule by establishment parties. (Final results will be out by Wednesday.)

Willis has already shed some light for you on López Obrador’s background and intentions. But how does the triumph of AMLO, as Mexico’s next president is known, fit into the larger narrative of anti-establishment backlashes that have rippled across Europe and the Americas in recent years?

Here’s one thing to consider: Whereas the populist forces in Europe focus on borders, migration, and national identity, Latin America’s mad-as-hell voters have different concerns: corruption, crime, and inequality. In part that’s because the major shock to European politics in recent years was external, the migrant crisis that peaked in 2015–2016, whereas in Latin America it was internal: the emergence of a new middle class during the boom years of the 2000s that has come to expect cleaner government, more equitable economic opportunities, and better living standards. Corruption scandals, botched reforms, and rising crime have all decimated support for establishment politicians in Latin America, opening the way for charismatic critics of those in power.

Here’s another: This is the first time that the current anti-establishment wave has brought firebrand nationalists to power in two countries that are at odds with each other. Sure, the Trumps and Dutertes and Orbans and Salvinis of the world all seem to admire each other’s style, but they do so from afar.

When AMLO takes office, he’ll have to contend with a US president who has repeatedly insulted Mexicans and thrown bombs into migration, border security, and trade relations — three issues that are critical for Mexico’s economy.

In the hours after AMLO’s victory, he and Trump exchanged positive messages, but relationships with Trump can sour awfully fast. If, on both sides of the Atlantic, we have seen a new wave of populists and firebrand nationalists confront elites at home and abroad — we will now get a look across the Rio Grande at what it’s like when two of these men confront each other.

More from GZERO Media

Syrians living in Turkey, holding a picture of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, celebrate after Syrian rebels announced that they have ousted President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, in Istanbul, Turkey, December 8, 2024.
REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has wanted this for years -- but what could go wrong?

- YouTube

Why did you originally think Assad would be able to resist being overthrown? What led you to believe Yoon's martial law declaration would fail in South Korea? What's another major geopolitical assessment you've made that played out differently than expected, and what does it reveal about the complexities of global politics? Ian Bremmer shares his insights on global politics this week on World In :60.

FREIBERG, GERMANY - DECEMBER 10: Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (not pictured) speak to the media following talks over lithium mining on December 10, 2024 in Freiberg, Germany. Germany and Serbia will be cooperating in the sustainable mining of lithium, a critical substance for the production of batteries for electric cars. A company called Zinnwald Lithium GmbH intends to mine up to 15,000 tons of lithium annually in the region of Saxony near Freiberg, enough to build one million electric car batteries. Serbia also has extensive lithium deposits.
(Photo by Sean Gallup - Pool/Getty Images) via Reuters

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on Tuesday said he would not flee in the face of demonstrations against his administration.

FILE PHOTO: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends a signing ceremony for an addendum to the works on the Transnordestina railway, at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil November 28, 2024.
REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo

On Tuesday, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva underwent a successful craniotomy in Sao Paolo after complaining of a severe headache.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu smiles as he prepares to testify in his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv on Dec. 10, 2024.
Menahem Kahana/Pool via Reuters

Israel has launched over 350 airstrikes this week targeting naval bases, ships, ammunition depots, and weapon facilities across Syria, devastating the Syrian Army’s remaining capabilities, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Walmart provides opportunities for associates to unlock their potential and grow their careers. With a $1 billion investment in career-driven training and development programs, Walmart provides associates with opportunities to grow from hourly roles to salaried management positions. In the past two years, over 300,000 associates have earned promotions into positions with higher pay and greater responsibility. Whether it’s a first job, next step, or second career, there is a path for anyone at Walmart. Learn how Walmart is supporting careers.

In October 2023, 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean signed the "Declaración de Santiago," a commitment to responsible AI development tailored to the region's cultural context and needs. Microsoft’s Global Perspectives: Responsible AI Fellows and CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean recently released a report exploring how AI can help achieve the UN SDGs. From health and wellness to gender equality and sustainable tourism, AI is unlocking solutions to longstanding challenges. Learn more.

Marine Tondelier, of Les Ecologistes party, talks to journalists next to colleagues as they leave a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Dec. 10. They had met with the French president as part of consultations aimed at appointing a new prime minister.
REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq

On Tuesday, France’s President Emmanuel Macron hosted a meeting with the leaders of center, center-right, and center-left political parties at the Elysee Palace in a bid to end France’s political crisis by building support for a new prime minister and a 2025 budget.

- YouTube

President-elect Donald Trump has made no secret of his love of tariffs, vowing steep import taxes on China, Mexico, Canada, and almost every product that crosses the US border on his first day in office. Will they boost US jobs and manufacturing, as Trump promises, or lead to rising inflation, as many economists warn? On GZERO World, Oren Cass, founder and chief economist at conservative think tank American Compass, joins Ian Bremmer for an in-depth discussion about Trump’s tariff plan and the future of US-China trade policy.